Fluid-flow control.



W. SHURTLEFF.

FLUID FLOW CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1916.

1,241,038. PatentedSept. 25,1917.

7 NAN/Fol. p

WILFRED SHURTLEFF, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

FLUID-FLOW CONTROL.

Application filed November 22, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, \VILFRED SHURTLEFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Flow and with atmosphere and a suction source,

usually the engine manifold, the ol bemg such that when the 011 level in the container falls to a certain level, suction becomes efi'ectlve to draw in Oll supply from the supply tank, and when the container has been re-filled it is. connected with atmosphere and the suction efl'ect destroyed. Now, when a vehicle is traveling on an incline, the fuel feed device or the carburetermay be below the level of the fuel inthe tank, and if this occurs at a time when the supply piping between the tank and feeding device is fullgas it would be just after a pumping operation by the suction effect, a'siphon flow will tend to be maintained between the tank and the feeding device container, and

as the container is open to the carbureter when the suction pumping ceases. the container and carburetor will be flooded. One of the important objects of my invention is therefore toprovide very simple arrangement and mechanism for preventing siphon flow from the tank to the feeding device containerwhen the pumping suction is not effective. It is well known that if air is allowed to enter a pipe through which there is siphon flow the siphon vacuum and consequently the fiow willbe destroyed and the fluid will leave the pipe.v My invention there fore consists in providing an air inlet which will break the siphon flow but which is not of sufficient area to interfere with pumping of the fluid from the tank to the feeding device container by the suction. As the air inlet opening must necessarily be small, another important feature of my invention is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Serial No. 132,790.

to provide means for preventing clogging up of the inlet.

' It is also well known that the pumping 'of fluid can be'made very must easier by admittingair into the path of flow, the resulting air bubbles mingling with the fluid, decreasing the weight thereof per unit length, and making it much easier-for the pumping force to lift the fiuid. The air inlet of my invention accomplishes this purpose in addition to breaking the siphon flow, that is, when the suction is acting on the feeding device containerair will mingle with the fluid, and as soon as the suction effect is destroyed the air inlet will clear the connecting pipes and will: prevent siphon.

flow from the tank to the feeding device when the vehicle is running on an incline.

The features of my invention are illustrated on the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a diagrammatical view sh0w-.

ing'a' fluid supply tank, the fuel feeding device, and the connecting piping with my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on plane 2+2, Fig l, and

.Fig. 3. is an enlarged sectional view on plane 3-3, Fig. 2. v

The tank 5 is connected by pipe 6 with the fuel feed device F which may beef-the usual construction and which it is therefore;

not necessary to show here in detaih The fuel feed device is connected at the top by a piping 7 with the suction source, such as the manifold of thevehicle engine, and at its lower end a pipe 8 connects the feed device 'with av carbureter- 9 which supplies fuel to.

Suitable float mechanism the manifold. within the feeding device controls the connection of the fuel container with the carbureter, with the suction, and with atmosphere. As is well understood, the oil supply-in the feeding devicev is replenished by the suction effect which when the fuel reaches a certain level is destroyed by the inlet of air to the fuel container, the container being then open to atmosphere at the top and open to the carbureter below. The piping 6 usually extends to the bottom of the supply tank 5 and should the level of the fuel in the tank be above the level of the fuel in the 1 feeding device container, when such conthe piping will form a siphon through tainer is open to atmosphere. as is 1313- quently the case during travel of the vehicle,

which the fuel will continue to flow, and this would result in flooding of the fuel device and the carbureter. The purpose of my invention is to-prevent this by providing an air inlet 10 for the connecting piping between the tank and feeding device. This air inlet may be at any part of the piping but it is preferable to place it as closely as possible to the supply tank. As shown in Fig. 1, the piping 6 terminates in the threaded lug 11 on the tank, the separate pipe 12 forming a continuation to the bot tom of the tank, and at the upper end of this pipe 12 the air inlet 10 is provided and it is up far enough to be at all times above the fuel level. The area of the inlet is such that pumping of fuel through the piping by the suction will not be interfered with. However, as soon as the pumping stops and the fuel tends to continue to flow, air will enter and will destroy the vacuum which is necessary for maintaining siphon flow and the piping will be drained. Not onlywill this air inlet prevent vacuum flow but it will also greatly increase the pumping efliciency. IVhen the pump is effective, air will enter through the inlet 10 and will mingle with the fuel to make a light column-which can easily be raised.

As the air inlet must be of small area to prevent interference with proper pumping, it might become clogged. I prevent this by applying a cleaning member w constructed of wire. A piece of wire of slightly less diameter than the inlet hole 10 is bent at 13 to extend through the inlet with its inner end 11 preferably deflected to prevent escape of the wire.' The outer end of the wire is bent downwardly and terminates in a loop 15 which surrounds the pipe 12, the loop being of larger diameter than the pipe to permit swinging of the structure w-when the vehicle is traveling, such swinging causing the part 13 to turn and shift in the hole 10 to keep it clean at all times. The wire passing through the hole leaves a fine capillary passageway between the wire and the hole edges and although air will readily enter through such fine passageway, fuel will not flow therethrough. 1

As before stated the air inlet could be at any part of the connecting piping or several such air inlets could be provided. However,

in order to lighten the column to be lifted it is preferable to locate the inlet as closely as possible to the supplytank, and preferably inside of the tank so that it will be removed from dust and'also to protect the cleaning wire 20. During running of the vehicle contact of fuel with the cleaning member 10 feeding device.

. I do not of course desire to be limited to the I exact construction and arrangement shown as changes may be made which would still come within the scope of the invention. I claim as follows:

1. In a vehicle, the combination with the fuel supply tank, fuel feed device and connecting piping of a fuel feeding system, of an air inlet for the piping, and a cleaning member projecting at one end into said inlet to restrict the same, said member be ing free to be shifted by the movements of the traveling vehicle to keep said inlet open.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with the fuel supply tank, fuel feed device and connecting piping of a fuel feeding system, of an air inlet opening in said piping, and a cleaning member having one end projecting into said inlet to restrict the same and its outer end being free to swing with the movement of the vehicle whereby to keep said inlet open and clean, and means for limiting" necting plping of a fuel feeding system, of

, an air inlet opening in said piping, and a wire cleaning member having one end projecting into said opening to restrict the same, the outer end of said member being free to be swung by the movements of the vehicle in order to keep said opening clean, such outer end looping around said piping to limit the swing of said member.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of November, A. D. 1916.

WILFRED SHURTIIEFF.

fuel feed device and con- 

